Syria has Enough Wisdom, Determination to Surpass Ongoing War: Patriarch Kirill

MOSCOW- Syria has enough wisdom and determination to surpass the crisis and overcome the war waged against the country and in which foreign mercenaries are taking part, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia for the Russian Orthodox Church said yesterday.

Patriarch Kirill, was speaking with Riyad Hadda, Syria’s Ambassador in Moscow, thanked the Syrian government for being keen to get the nuns, abducted by armed groups from Tecla Monastery in Maaloul, released.

“I would like to thank President Bashar Al-Assad and the Syrian government for playing a decisive role in releasing the nuns,” he said.

The patriarch stressed that the Russian Orthodox Church as well as social organizations keep providing humanitarian aid to the Syrian people regardless their religious belongingness.

Kirill, who was briefed by the Syrian ambassador on the huge number of martyrs in Syria and on the great damage caused to religious places and to schools in country said “what is going on in Syria is a humanitarian disaster, because before the eruption of fighting, this country had been an example of fraternity and amity ties among representatives of different religions.” 

For his part, Haddad said that the Syrians have been facing terrorists since 2011, pointing out that 98 churches were destroyed and hundreds of Christians, including children, were victims of armed terrorists groups’ crimes which also caused the destruction of 1900 mosques and 4600 schools in Syria.

H. Mustafa